Nadal ‘needs to compete’ at Indian Wells, says uncle

The uncle of 22-time champion Rafael Nadal said his nephew has to heed the urgency of competing in regular tournaments again.

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WHY RAFA MUST PLAY AT INDIAN WELLS

Toni Nadal cited Rafael “needs to compete” at the upcoming Indian Wells tournament as part of his journey back to competitive tennis. He said his nephew can still win majors but he must start playing in regular tournaments first.

“It’s that he (Rafa) needs to compete. He has no choice,” Toni Nadal told AS. “He hasn’t done it for too long. And of course, if you don’t compete, you can’t be prepared.

But Toni Nadal clarified that his nephew’s team is “going to wait” to assess the champion’s schedule for the rest of the year.

RAFA CAN STILL WIN 15TH FRENCH OPEN TITLE

The 37-year-old Spanish tennis great remains capable of winning his 15th French Open title this year, Toni said.

However, Rafael Nadal needs to play more and recover from a hip injury that sidelined him and led to his surgery last year, Toni said. Rafael Nadal sustained another injury at the Brisbane International that forced him to miss the Australian Open and the Qatar Open this year.

“I know it’s difficult, but I always try to be positive and I hope that my nephew can play a great role both in the (Paris) Games and at Roland Garros,” Toni Nadal said.